Head Start preschool program creates school board rift

Most of Thompson School District's Board of Education meeting Wednesday night was consumed by discussion of the early childhood Head Start program, but some board members were upset over Board President Bob Kerrigan's March 30 decision to remove from the agenda a presentation by 70 preschoolers, which had long been scheduled for this week.

During the district's spring break, Kerrigan, who sets the board's weekly agendas, emailed Superintendent Stan Scheer to ask that the preschoolers' presentation be taken off the agenda.

Though the presentation was axed, Thompson Early Childhood Administrator Theresa Clements still had the opportunity to speak at length on the state of the Head Start's funding and structure within the district.

Head Start, a federal program that offers early childhood education, health and parent services to low-income students and their families, currently serves 139 children across the district.

In her comments Wednesday, Clements did not bring up Kerrigan's decision regarding the student presentation, though before the meeting she did say it was a "disappointment to not be able to present something that highlights positive things that are happening in our preschool classrooms."

After Clements' segment, board member Lori Hvizda Ward said she was "ashamed" and "embarrassed" by Kerrigan's decision to remove what was supposed to be a fun demonstration of what's going on in the district's preschool classrooms.

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"The board missed an opportunity tonight to see firsthand what early childhood education looks like in Thompson," she said. "Instead, we chose to send a strong message to the Thompson community that, when it comes right down to it, we really don't care about kids."

Kerrigan said shortly after Hvizda Ward's comments that the presentation "absolutely" could be rescheduled to a future meeting.

Following the meeting, Kerrigan made clear his decision for Wednesday's agenda wasn't personal.

"I think the board needs to be focused on things that are really important to get work done," he said. "I tried to keep us focused, engaged in the work that I think is really important to the work of this evening."

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